Rail-joint lock.



H. L. mson.

BAIL JOINT LOOK.

APPLIOATIOII FILED BBPT.28,1908,

Patented July 6, 1909.

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UNITED s'rATEs PATENT OFFICE.

HOWARD L. MASON, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO MASON SAFETY RAIL JOINT LOOK COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF MISSOURI.

RAIL-JOINT LOCK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 6, 1909.

Application filed September 28, 1908. Serial No. 455,075.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HOWARD L. MAsoN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in'ltail-Joint Locks, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in rail-joint locks, and more especially to that 1 class of locks described in U. S. Letters Patent #772,543, hearing date of Oct. 18, 1904.

My principal object is to provide the lock with novel means for engaging the ends of the rails to prevent the same from creeping upon the cross-ties. The movement due to the creeping of the rails, especially on gradients, is considerable, and it may result in the joint, between the abutting ends of the rail, moving dangerously close to one end of the lock, so that said end will fail to hold said abutting ends in alinement, or it may result in the joint moving entirely free of the look so that the latter will lose all control over the former. This objection may be overcome to a certain degree by bolting the lock and the rails together in. the customary manner, but as the nuts for securing the bolts in place constantly Work loose, this manner of overcoming the dihiculty has proved to be unsatisfactory and unreliable. I overcome the objection. by the novel means hereinafter described, particularly pointed out in the claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which;

Figure 1. shows the lock in position upon the ends of two abutting rails. Figs. 2 and 3 are perspectives of the two members forming the lock. Fig. 4 is an irregular cross section on line lV-l\ of F 1g. 1. Fig. 5 is a plan View of one i'neinber of the lock.

1 1 designate a pair of rails having transverse apertures 2 at the ends thereof.

3 designates a bedlate forming one of the important features 0 i the lock. Bed-plate 3 consists of a base l, a flange 5, an angle-bar 6, and a foot 7 having apertures 8 for the passage of spikes whereby said bed-plate may be secured to cross-ties 9 by spikes 10. Base 4 has a longitudinal slot 11 extending therethrough adjacent to flange 5, for a purpose hereinafter referred to.

12 designates laterally-projecting mem bers, preferably, formed integral with anglebar 6, from the inner side of which they extend.

13 designates an angle-bar forming the other important member of the lock. Said angle-bar 13 is provided with a centrally-disposed outwarally-extending foot 14, having apertures 15 through which spikes 16 may be driven for the purpose of securing the bedplate to the cross-ties 9.

In practice the rails are placed 011 base 4 of the bed-plate 3, with the projections 12 eX- tending through the apertures 2. Foot 14 of the ai'igle-bar 13 is then inserted in slot 11, so that the vertical portion of said angle-bar may rest against the webs of the rails, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4. The bed-plate and the anglebar are then reliably spiked to the cross-ties to prevent them from creepingor moving longitudinally thereon. By thus securing the lock to the cross-ties it will, through the instrumentality of projections 12, overcome any appreciable creeping of the rails, although the latter are free to contract and expand in the usual manner, by reason of the fact that the apertures 2 are longer than the projections 12.

By permanently securing projections 12 to the bed.] )late 3, it is im 'iossible for them to work loose as frequently occurs where bolts and nuts are employed, hence they will require no attention. after the lock has been placed in position. on the rails. Furthermore, no additional time is required in placing the projections through the apertures as in the case where bolts and nuts are used, because said projections enter the apertures at the time the rails are placed in position upon base 4i.

From the above description it is apparent that l have produced simple, but efficient, means for preventing the rails from moving independently of the lock other than is necessary for ordinary expansion and contraction, hence the joint formed by the abutting ends of the rails will always be maintained in proper relation to the lock.

'sisting of a slotted base and an angle-beirails, said angle-bar having a foot adapted to 10 extend through the slot in the bed-plate, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I ztfiiX my signature,

Having thus described my invention, What adapted to fit against the bases and sides of 111 the presence of two Witnesses.

I claim is:

A 1'EL1i]O1I1iJ comprising a bed-plate contwo abutting mils, projections extending lat- HOVJARD L. MASON,- ei'eily from said bed-plate through apertures W' itnesses:

in the Webs of the mils, and an angle-b an F. G. FISCHER,

adapted to fit against the opposite side of the M. COX. 

